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F. J. HUMMEL.

TOY RAILWAY.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. SI. IQIB. Imm

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ATENT FFICE.

rer RAILWAY.

Specicaticn of Letters Patent.

Patented May 13, 1919.

Applcawon filed January 31, 191%. Serial No. 214,607.

TQ all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that T, FRANK J. HUMMEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Railways, of which the following isa speci- Hcation.

My invention relates to toy railways, and to signaling apparatus and car controlling apparatus for use in connection with such railways.l i

T will describe one form of railway embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

The accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic View showing one form of railway embodying my invention.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, the reference characters R, R' designate* the track rails of a railway, between which rails is a third rail T. The railway is divided into blocks A-B, RWC, etc., in any suitable manner, this division being accomplished by means ont insulations or breaks 2 in the third rail T. The third rail is further divided by insulations or breaks 2 within each block to term a main section extending through the greater part of the block, and a short insulated section at the exit end ot the block. Thus the main section of the third rail for block A--B is the section A-en and the short insulated section at the exit end of this block is the section L -B. p

Located adjacent the entrance end of each block is a signal which is designated by the reference character S with an exponent corresponding to the location of the signal, the signal at point A, for example, being designated SA. Each of these signals comprises two lamps G and R, colored green and red respectively, each signal indicating clear when the green lamp is illuminated, and danger when the red lamp is illuminated.

Each block is provided with a relay for controlling the signal for the block, each of these relays bein designated by the reference character Ng, with the same exponent as that of the signal whichmit controls. Each relay includes a contact irfor controlling the corresponding signal, the circuits being so arranged that the green lamp G is illuminated when the relay is denergized, and the red lamp R is illuminated when the relay is energized. The circuit for the green lamp G of signal SB, for example, is from a battery P through line wire 3, wire 4B, back point of Contact 5 of relay NB, wire'6, lamp G, wire 7B, line wire 8 to battery P. The circuit for lamp R of this signal is the same except that it includes the front point of contact 5 of rela NB and wire 9 instead of the back point o this contact and wire 6.

Une terminal 10 of relay-NB is constantly connected with the main third rail section of block B--C by means of wire 11. The other terminal of this relay is connected with line wire 8 through wires 12 and 7B. Line wlre 3 is connected with the track rail R by a wire 13B. Itwill be seen, therefore, that the battery P is connected across rail R and section B-b of the third railT, and that this connection includes relay NB. If, then, rail R and section B-b of rail T are electrically connected, relay NB will be energized. Terminal 10 of relay NB is also connected with the short section b-C of third rail T at the exit end of block B--C, but this connection is controlled by a contact 14 of relay NC in such manner that the connection is direct or includes a resistance 15C according as relay NC is denergized or energized. This connection, when relayNC is denergized, is from terminal l0 of relay NB through wire 16, back point of contact 14 of relay NC, wire 17 to third rail section b-(l W'hen relay N C `is energized, thisvdirect connection is roken and the connection passes through resistance 15C and the front point of contact 14 of relay NC. It follows, then, that battery Il5 is connected across third rail section b-C and rail R. this connection including relay NB, but that when relay yNC is energized this connection also includes resistance 15C.

Relay N for each block is connected with rails R and T for the block and with bat tery P inthe same manner as is relay NB.

Each car which travels along the railway is equipped with a traction motor M (see car V), one terminal of which motor is connected with an axle of the car and so with track rail R, and the other terminal of which motor is connected with a brush 19 which makes contact with the third rail T. The traction motor M is, therefore, constantly in a closed circuit including battery P and the rela N for the block which the car occupies. or example, when a car V is in section B-Vf-b' ofr block B-C, the circuit longer operates.

and 13B, rail R,"wheel and axle of car V,

motor M, brush 19, section b-C of third rail T, Wire 17, back point of contact 14, wire 16, relay NB, wires 12, 7B and 8 to battery P. Current in this circuit likewise is of sufficient strength to operate the traction motor M and also to energize relay N B. If, however, relay NC is energized, resistance 15C is included in the last traced circuit. This resistance reduces the current in the circuit to such value that it will not operate the traction motor M, but vthe current is still of suthcient strength to energize relay NB so that signal SB still indicates danger.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows z lThere being a car V in the block in ad- Vance of location C, relay NC is energized so that signal SC indicates danger. Signals SB and SA, however, both indicate clear. If now a second car, moving in the direction indicated by the arrow, enters block A-B, it will cause relay NA to become energized, so that signal SA will change from clear to dangerl; that is, the green lamp will be extinguished and the red lamp will become illuminated. As this second car enters the short third rail section at the exit end of block A-B, it continues `to receivey sufficient current to 'operate its traction motor, because relay NB is denergized. As the second car enters block B C, it likewise causes signal SB to change to danger. Inasmuch as relay NC is energized, resistance 15C is included in the connection between third rail section b-C and relay NB. Consequently, vwhen the second car passes the point b, the current flowing through its traction motor is reduced to such4 value that this motor no Hence the car comes to a stop inisection b-C Relay NB, however, continues to be energized so that signal SB continues to indicate danger. As soon as the car V passes out of the block in which it is shown in the drawing, relay NC will become denergized, so that the second car, which is now assumed to be present in section Z2-C, willreceive sutlicient current to operate its traction motor, so that this car may'then proceed into the block to the right of point C.

I will now assume that a car is at rest in the short section bC at the exit end of 'proceed through the main section. of this block, but would be'brought to a stop upon entering the short eXit section a-B because resistance 15B would be included in the circuit of its traction motor.

It will thus be seen that when any part of a block is occupied by a car, a following car will be stopped upon entering the short section at the exit end of the block next in the rear.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of railway and signaling system embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A toy railway and signaling system comprising a track rail and a third rail, a source or current and a relay constantly .f connected in series across said track rail and said "third rail, a car arranged to travel on said track rail and having means for electrically bridging said track rail and said third rail whereby it completes the circuit for said relay and energizes the latter, and a wayside signal controlled by said relay so as to indicate stop or proceed according as said relay is energized or denergized.

2. A toy railway and signaling system comprising track rails, a third rail divided into sections to form blocks, a relay for each block, a partial circuit for each block including the corresponding relay and a source of current constantly connected in series across the corresponding third rail section and one of the track rails, a car adapted to travel on said track rails and having means for electrically bridging said third rail, and said one track rail whereby the relay for an occupied block is energized, and a wayside signal for each block controlled by the corresponding relay and arranged to indicate stop or proceed according as the relay isen'ergized or denergized.

3. A toy railway and signaling system comprising two conductors one of which is divided into sections to form blocks, and one of which conductors is a track rail and the other a third rail, a relay yfor each block, a partial circuit for each block including the corresponding relay and a source of current constantly connected in series across the corresponding ,divided conductor section and the other conductor, a car adapted to travel along said railway and having means for electrically bridging said two conductors whereby the relay for lll lill

tenaces an occupied block is energized, and a wagside signal for each block controlled by t e corresponding relay and adapted to indicate stop or proceed according as the relay is energized or denergized.

d.' A toy railway and signaling system comprising track rails, a third rail divided into blocks and havingl a shortinsulated section at the exit end of each block, signal controlling means for each bloclr havingone terminal connected with the main section of the third rail, a source of current connected with the other terminal of each signal controlling means and a track rail, a resistance for each block, means for each block controlled by the signal controlling means for the block in advance for connecting the rstmentioned terminal of the signal controlling means for the block directly with the short third rail section at the exit end of the block or for inserting said resistance in such connection according as the block in advance is :tree or occupied, a car arranged to travel on said track, and a traction motor on said car connected with said third rail and with the track rail to which said source ont current is connected.

5. A toy railway and signaling system comprising two conductors with which the cars make moving contact, at least one ot which conductors is divided into blocks and further sub-divided to form a short insulated section at the exit end of each block, signal controlling means for each block having one terminal connected with the main divided conductor section for the block, means tor each bloclrA for creating a difference or potential between the other terminal of each signal controlling means and the other said conductor, means tor each block controlled by the signal controlling means for the block in advance for connecting the firstmentioned termnalwof the corresponding signal controlling means with the .corresponding short divided conductor sectlon either directly or through a resist-ance accordingas the hlockin advance 1s free or occupied, a car having contacts engaging with said two conductors respectively, and a traction motor on said car connected with said contacts.

6. A toy railway and signaling system comprising two conductors with which the cars make moving contact, at least one of which conductors is divided into blocks and further sub-divided to form a short insulated section at the exit end of each block,

signal controlling means for each block havingone terminal connected with both of the divlded conductor sections for such block,

`means for each block for creating a diierence of potential across the other conductor and the remaining terminal of the corresponding signal controlling means, and means controlled by each signal controlling means and operative when a block is occupled for inserting a resistance between the short insulated conductor section of the block in the rear and the signal controlling means for such block in the rear, a car, and a traction motor on the oar connected with said two conductors.

7. toy railway and signaling system comprising two conductors with which the cars make moving contact, at least one of which conductors is divided into blocks and further subdivided to form a short insulated sectlon at the exit end of each block, a relay for each block having one terminalconnected with both of the divided conductor sections for the block, the said connection with the exit end section including a back Contact of the relay for the block next in ad- Vance, a branch for each latter connection around the said back contact and including a front contact of the same relay and a resistance, means for creating a did'erence of potential between the other terminal of .each relay and the other said conductor, a

car, a traction motor-'thereon connected with said two conductors, and signals for the blocks controlled by said relays.

` 8. A toy railway and signaling system comprising two conductors with which the cars make moving Contact, at least one oi which.conductors is divided into blocks and further sub-divided to form a short insudit lated section at the exit end of each block, a

car, a traction motor thereon connected with said two conductors, a source of current connected across the two said conductors of each block, signal controlling means for each block included in said connections, and means for each block controlled by traflic conditions in advance for inserting a resistance in the connection between the source and the exit section of the divided conduct-or for such block.

ln testimony whereof l ax my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK J. HUMMEL. Witnesses:

A. HERMAN WneNnn, FAY GLASGOW. 

